The Seven Days of Valentine
by Angelica Winterglow
Summary: "How can one find true love through a stupid Ministry fest?" Is Hermione right or will she be proved wrong? The Ministry is holding a Secret Valentine fest and Hermione is forced to participate. DMHG. Rated T to be on the safer side.
1. The Seven Days of Valentine Fest

**It's going to be Valentine's in seven days :D **

**For me that means lots of new Valentine stories and what makes me really excited this year is that I am too attempting to write a Valentine fic. Just so you all know this fic is going to have 7-8 small chapters. This is my first attempt at writing anything longer than a one shot. I apologise for any errors in the story, I didn't really get the time to proofread multiple times. **

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is not mine. **

**Well, I won't keep you any longer. I hope you enjoy the fic!**

**The Seven Days of Valentine**

The Ministry was taking advantage of the victory against Voldemort, according to Hermione. They grabbed every chance to celebrate, on Halloween it was a masquerade ball, on Christmas it was Secret Santa, which ended with another damned ball. Being a war hero and the president and founder of S.P.E.W., she was forced to attend all the celebrations. Since the Secret Santa had worked so well, this time on Valentine's Day they decided to have "The Seven Days of Valentine Fest". She had managed to endure the other ones for the sake of S.P.E.W., she knew her organisation needed all the publicity it could get but she didn't know how she was going to be able to survive through this stupid event.

She started at the letter in her hands; dread crept in to her skin as she read the outline of the programme. It was a bit like Muggle online dating, she would have to give specifics about herself and her preferences for a partner. Then she would be matched to a partner with whom she would have to complete tasks by exchanging letters and gifts till Valentine's Day. The catch was that she wouldn't get to know the identity of her partner till the ball on Valentine's Day, where he would be her date.

She groaned and rubbed her face, today was the last day to send in her form. The Ministry had managed to accomplish what her friends hadn't been able to do in for the past three years: force her to date. None of her friends understood that she wanted to put S.P.E.W. before her personal life. It wasn't that she didn't want to find a partner someday but right now she was happy with her life and she didn't want a boyfriend to screw it for her. Thinking about her friends had made her a bit suspicious; after all Ginny was on the event management team of the Ministry. She knew her friend would love to play matchmaker. Seeing as Ginny had tried to set her up with every male friend she had.

She placed the letter on the side table and went to the door when she heard a knock. As soon as she opened the door something redheaded lunged at her with a squeal fit to make her deaf.

"Hermione!" cried Ginny, "Did you get the letter from the Ministry?"

"Yes I did, Ginny."

"Isn't that just wonderful!" exclaimed Ginny.

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Oh come on Hermione, don't be such spoilt sport," said Ginny, "it will be fun, a wonderful new experience."

"Am I right in assuming that this was your idea?" asked Hermione with a cold voice.

"Maybe or maybe not," Ginny replied cryptically.

"What if you get paired up with someone else besides Harry?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Then I will make one new friend. You know it is all just for fun," said Ginny, "Just because it is a Valentine's fest it doesn't mean that you need to romantically involved with them. Besides you are paired with someone who is compatible with you. Who else is better for me than Harry?"

"How am I just going to open up to someone I don't even know," said Hermione, "and what if I know the person? That would be so embarrassing."

"Don't worry," said Ginny, "just do it. Let us fill our forms, you know the information will not be disclosed, not even to your partner."

Hermione took the paper attached and looked at it with apprehension.

"State your name," said Ginny, "well that's easy."

"Your age, gender…," continued Hermione, "Preferred gender of partner? What?"

"That should be easy enough Hermione, unless you are confused," said Ginny, raising one eyebrow.

Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to fill her form:

**Height**: 5ft, 5in.

**Hair**: Dark Brown

**Eyes**: Light brown

**Tattoos**: None

**Hobbies**: Reading, cooking, potion making

**Preferred music**: All kind

**Preferred books**: Hogwarts: A History, The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

**Preferred Quidditch team**: None

**Pets**: One cat (half-Kneazle)

**Preferred traits in partner**: Intelligent, quick-witted, funny

**How would you describe yourself?** Smart, Organised, Introvert

**Occupation**: President of S.P.E.W., Spell Inventor

"This information is so superficial," said Hermione, "they are going to find us partners using this? For all I know Malfoy might like the same things as me!"

Ginny's eyes lit up and a wicked grin formed on her face, after all Harry and Malfoy were now good friends and she was on the management team for the event maybe she could pull some strings. She quickly bent her head to hide her excitement, she would talk to harry tonight

**Well there you go. Next chapter will be hopefully up by tomorrow. I don't usually write that fast but I am inspired this time. So any suggestions on what you would like Draco and Hermione to do for their seven tasks? Sorry again for any errors in the writing, please inform me if you find any while reading.**


	2. The Day of Roses

**Hello again :)**

**I couldn't wait for tomorrow,**** so there you go. **

**The Day of Roses**

Hermione stumbled on her sofa, her breath irregular and a film of sweat forming on her forehead. She had finally been able destroy the monster she had accidently created while developing a new spell. She got up and went out of her workroom to grab a bite from her kitchen.

On the window of her kitchen a dark brown owl was perched, with a letter tied to its leg. She untied the letter from the owl and fed a few owl treats. The letter was from the ministry.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We were delighted to receive your application and we have paired you with a candidate with you. For the next seven days till Valentine's you will have seven tasks to perform, which will help your partner and you get to know each other better. _

_Your task for today, the Rose Day, is to describe your perfect first date to your partner and to send them a rose of your choice. _

_You will write to your partner ensuring that you keep your identity undisclosed. _

_Write to him on the code: 760875_

_Your code: 760842_

_We hope you enjoy this Valentine's Day fest._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Betty Smith_

_Head event manager_

_Ministry of Magic_

What would be her ideal date? It would definitely involve a romantic dinner. Others may think of her as a cold prude but she was a romantic at heart. Her collection of romantic novels proved it, not that anyone knew about it. She dug for a parchment from her desk drawer and took her a quill and starts to write her letter

_Dear partner, _

_I hope you will enjoy participating in this fest with me. I look forward to getting to know you and meeting you. _

_So according to the task I have to describe my ideal first date. It is a bit difficult to do that because you can't have one kind of ideal date.__It is very important to me that my date be on time. Also throughout the date we should talk to each other and find many instances to laugh. It would be nice to have a romantic dinner at a quite restaurant during which we can get to know each other. After dinner a long walk would be icing on the cake. Other activities like going to the movies, the amusement park or a museum would be wonderful too. I would not like to go on a first date to a Quidditch game because I am not very interested in Quidditch and it will make me very quiet and unapproachable. But the most important part of a perfect date is a good partner. If the person is interesting and someone you like then flies by without you trying._

_I am excited to receive your letter describing your perfect first date.  
Your Secret Valentine._

There, she didn't what else to write. She hoped it wasn't too cold or demanding.

She was very curious about get partners reply. Even if this didn't lead to a romantic relationship, at least she hoped to find a good friend. Even though she did not want to admit it to herself, she knew there was one more reason to it; if her partner turned out to be an influential person, then S.P.E.W. could earn a lot of public support and money. It didn't feel right to want to make a friend just so you could use them. But she wasn't just trying to make a friend so she could use him, was she? She knew she wanted a new friend, someone who didn't have preconceived perceptions about her, someone who would judge her as she was now and not by her past. She loved the friends she had, but none of them ever understood her.

For Harry she was the sister with the brains, a person to comfort him. Ron always took her for granted and Ginny thought that she was a book worm who wasn't feminine enough. But when did they ever support her? Why couldn't they accept her the way she was? Why couldn't they trust the choices she had made for her life? Even Molly, a mother like figure in her life, didn't agree with her decisions. They all, along with the rest of the wording world had pressured her to join the Ministry or become a Healer when she choose S.P.E.W. They all frowned upon her when she declined dates. Even Harry, who she thought understood her, was upset with her choices. After all, he had proposed to Ginny right after his Auror training and they got married in a year after that.

She was hoping that through this fest she would at least find one person who understood her. After all, this person was supposed to be her match, her soul mate. Hermione put on a coat and locked the door to her house. She walked to the nearest florist and bought a yellow rose. She thought that red might be too bold; she didn't want to appear desperate or easy. She went to the local owlery and sent her letter attached with the rose.

**A/N: I wonder what the partner's response will be. Hmmm…**

**I am writing this in the middle of the night and I have read through it just once, so again I am really sorry for any mistakes. Please point them out to me. People I would love to know your thoughts on the story so please review. Here first 3 days of Valentine, so tell me if you have any ideas for these. **

**8th**** Feb: Rose day**

**9th**** Feb: Pink day**

**10th**** Feb: Chocolate day**

**Roses for everyone! :D**

**A/N 2: I have shifted the days by one date, just realized starting at Feb 7 would lead to 8 days not 7. **


	3. Spoilt Brat, Know-It-All

**So here is the third chapter of the story. It is longer than the other ones. I can't decide if that is good or bad. I hope you guys are enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it.**

**This chapter is for broodingloom for her/his PM :)  
**

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**Spoilt Brat, Know-It-All**

The day was a warm one, a rare occurrence for February in London. Hermione let the soft breeze play in her hair, as she took the short walk from the apparition point to Harry and Ginny´s place.  
Ginny was sitting on the lawn in front of her house; she was replanting her precious roses. Hermione entered and went to sit beside her friend.

"So how is it going?" asked Hermione, "your partner is Harry?"

"I don't know," replied Ginny, "we have decided to make sure that the other doesn't see our letters or gifts. We want it to be a surprise."

"So you wrote your letter?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, I even got one back," smiled Ginny, "He seems like very sweet kind of guy. What about you?"

"I owled my letter with the rose. I have yet to get his reply."

"Tell me all about it when you get it!" said Ginny.

"I will," replied Hermione, "I wonder who it is."

'Whoever it is, I'm sure he will be wonderful."

"And even if he isn't what you expected, I'm sure you will get on well with him," a male voice said behind Hermione.

Hermione smiled and hugged Harry. "I should be scared by the way you two seem to be counselling me", said Hermione "Am I going to get some hideous creature? Don't tell me it is Goyle."

"How can we tell you? We don't know," said Ginny, with a much too innocent smile.

"Hermione, I almost forgot," started Ginny, "I got the catalogue from Madame Malkin's. It's up in my room. Can you go and get it? I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't covered with dirt."

"Sure, no problem Ginny," said Hermione. Hermione entered the house and climbed the stairs to Ginny's room. It was on the desk beside the window, and Hermione was picking the catalogue when she caught sight of Harry and Ginny having a rapid discussion. Ginny hissed at Harry and Harry said something back to Ginny. Then Ginny giggled and the couple shared a high five. Hermione couldn't hear what they said but she knew both of them were up to something and she would get to the bottom of it.

She went downstairs with the catalogue.

"I better get going," said Harry, "There is a meeting with Shacklebolt that I can't escape." He hugged Hermione, kissed Ginny and went inside to floo to the ministry.

Hermione looked at Ginny. She was avoiding eye contact with her.

"Ginny," said Hermione, "Why don't we go to Madame Malkin's instead of looking at the catalogue?"

"That is a wonderful idea!" Ginny perked up, "Just let me go wash myself first."

Hermione waited while Ginny got ready, she was going to try and find out what Ginny was up to while they shopped.

A few minutes later, they both apparated to the Leaky cauldron and entered Diagon Alley. They walked through the bustling streets. The lively sound of the shops, the laughter of children, the shouts of the vendors brightened Hermione. They reached Madame Malkin's. Young women with their friends, little children with their mothers, men trying to pick dresses for their girlfriends wandered around the shop.

Hermione and Ginny were browsing through the dresses when Madame Malkin came to them, "Ginny dear!" she exclaimed, "Hello Hermione, how have you two been?"

"Wonderful, Madame Malkin," replied Ginny.

"Come to look for dresses for the Valentine's ball? Come to the upper chamber with me; let's find something for you girls."

They climbed to a lavish room, where they sat on plush sofas. An attendant bought drinks for the three of them.

"So do you girls have anything in mind?" asked Madame Malkin.

"Nothing special," said Hermione.

Madame Malkin then asked her assistants to bring dresses for Hermione and Ginny. Pinks, blues, greens, reds, blacks came one after another. Ginny picked several to try out but Hermione couldn't decide, some were too gaudy, some too revealing and some just plain ugly.

Ginny came out wearing a flowing off-white dress, which came above her knees in the front but trailed to the floor on the back. Delicate golden beadwork lined the neck. She looked beautiful in it; the dress hugged her curves in the right places. It was alluring but still decent. Ginny raised her eyebrows and Hermione gave her the thumbs up.

"Did you find something you like?" asked Ginny.

"Not really," replied Hermione.

They looked through more dresses, Hermione liked a black one but Ginny completely refused saying that she was not going to wear black on Valentine's Day.

Hermione decided to look around the collection herself when she spotted a floor- length red dress. It was simple but elegant. It had a silver strap just above the waist and thin silver straps that would tie behind the neck. She went in the changing room to try it and when she saw herself in the mirror she knew this was her final choice.

Hermione and Ginny left the store after their purchase. Ginny needed to buy some groceries and Hermione had to buy a new potions book, so they parted ways and decided to meet at the Leaky Cauldron in an hour.

Hermione headed to Flourish and Blotts, she entered the familiar bookshop. Her eyes skimmed through the different books looking for the book she wanted. She finally found it and as she was reaching to take it, a hand came and grabbed it from the shelf. She turned around with a scowl to look at the person. It was Malfoy, which explained the rude behaviour.

"Excuse me, I was going to take that book," said Hermione.

"Well, I took it," the blond headed git replied, "You should have been faster."

"Ever the rude, spoilt brat, aren't you Malfoy?"

"Ever the stuck-up know-it-all, Granger?"

"_You_ are talking about being stuck up?" said Hermione with a raised eyebrow.

"Tell me Granger, are you taking part in the Ministry's Valentine fest?"

"How does that concern you?"

"I was just feeling sorry for the poor chap who will find you at the ball, all that build-up for nothing. But then only some idiot who spends his time with his nose buried in a book will be matched to you," said Malfoy with a sneer.

"At least it won't be some air-headed bimbo," replied Hermione, with a cool expression, "Those are the only kind of females who seem to be attracted to you."

"How would you know that, Granger? Been keeping tabs on me?"

"Why would I keep -"

"Hermione! Draco!"

Hermione turned around to see Ginny rushing towards them.

"Hello Draco, how have you been?" asked Ginny.

"Wonderful Ginny," replied Draco, "and you?"

"Fine, fine," Ginny replied airily. She then turned towards Hermione and said, "We should get going, Harry would be back home by now."

"First why don't you tell _your friend_ Ginny that he should behave," said Hermione.

"Draco you should behave," Ginny said desperately, "now can we leave?"

"Wait a second Ginny," said Draco, "Why don't _you_ ask your friend why she was keeping tabs on me?"

"You were keeping tabs on him?" asked Ginny, a bit surprised.

'No, I wasn't!" Hermione replied heatedly.

"Ok then let's go," said Ginny and pulled her out of the shop. Why was Ginny so desperate to get her out of the shop? The redhead's behaviour was getting very bizarre.

"Ginny! Malfoy was insulting me!"

"He is just like that on the exterior Hermione!" Ginny tried to defend him, "On the inside he is a very good guy."

"Why are you saying that to me?" said Hermione, "I don't even care about him."

Ginny mumbled something under her breath; Hermione heard her say impossible and opposites.

Two hours later, after having dinner with Ginny and Harry, Hermione returned home. She found an owl waiting for her. She carefully took the letter and unrolled it.

_Dear Partner,_

_I read your letter and I completely agree that simply having a good company makes the date enjoyable._

_A perfect first date for me would involve good food. We would go out to a fancy theatre to watch a play or go to the movies. I know the date went well if we end up staying out and talking till late. I usually like the first date to be in the evening._

_Till tomorrow,_

_Your Partner_

Well that was very to the point and abrupt; the guy seemed to be a bit snobbish. Although maybe a date with him would be enjoyable, he seemed to have fine tastes and he did agree with her.

Hermione took the rose which had been attached to the letter; it was a purple Neverwilting rose. It was known to smell different to every person. No one had managed to find from where these roses had originated. She took a deep breath; the smell of cinnamon overwhelmed her senses. Her mysterious partner must have put a lot of thought in it.

She placed the rose on her bedside table and went to sleep. Her dreams that night centred around a mysterious blond man who smelled of cinnamon. She thought she knew him but she couldn't place him.

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**A/N: I would love to hear your feedback on this so please review! Tell me what kind of tasks you would like them to perform. Can anyone guess what yellow and purple colour roses mean? Cookies for anyone who can!**


	4. The Pink Day

**A very short chapter. I won't waste your time. Go ahead and read and please review :) **

**The Pink Day**

The next day Hermione woke up to an incessant tapping. She groomed and looked at the alarm clock beside her bed. Her eyes fell on the purple rose; her thoughts went to the dreams. There was something about them which was nagging but she couldn't point out what exactly it was.

She got up from the bed; it was time to face the day. She went to the window to let the owl in, so it would stop the noise. She took the letter, curious to see what her task would be.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We hope you enjoyed the first day of the fest. Your task for today, Pink Day, is to find a small, pink gift for your partner and write a note explaining why you chose it._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Betty Smith_

_Head event manager_

_The Ministry of Magic_

A pink gift, she couldn't think of anything that would seem right. So she decided to take some time to think, she would buy the gift after work.

By the time Hermione had filed the last of the papers and signed the last of the documents, she had decided what she was going to buy for her partner. She was exiting the building of her office when her phone beeped. It was a message from Ginny; Hermione had made sure all her friends had as mobile phone.

_**What are you buying for your partner? - Ginny**_

_**A pink tie**_, Hermione wrote back.

_**Seriously? Who would wear that? - Ginny**_

_**That is the thing, isn't it? - Hermione**_

**O.K...? - Ginny**

Hermione walked to a Muggle clothing store which was near her office. She asked the attendant over there for a pink coloured tie. At first he seemed a bit surprised and then finally after digging around for hours in the boxes, he found a pink tie. Hermione bought the tie and went to the owlery to pen her note, she should really get an owl of her own.

_Dear partner,  
I have bought you a pink tie. I know that it is very flashy, but that is the point. I believe that one should not be afraid to stand out and be different. If you want to do something then you should do it, without being afraid of what others will think.  
Your partner_

_P.S.: The rose was very beautiful, I loved it. Thank you._

When Hermione returned home an owl was already waiting for her. She took the little flat box from it and fed it a few owl treats, it nipped affectionately at her finger and flew away. Hermione opened the box and gasped at what was inside.

**A/N: Hmmm…What did Hermione get? What do you guys think? Can you imagine Draco wearing a pink tie? I think he would look cute. Next day is chocolate day, any ideas for the task? I am half asleep as I am typing this so pardon any errors. Till tomorrow. :) **


	5. The Pink Day - Part 2

**Again a very short chapter, actually it is just the second part of the fourth chapter. Please read and review!**

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**The Pink Day – Part 2**

On the dark blue velvet of the box lay a pink feathered, gold tipped quill. Hermione ran her fingers across the feather, it was beautiful. It was a very rare kind of quill, she had wanted one for ages. You could never lose these quills; they always returned back to the owner. Hermione read the note attached to the box.

_Dear Partner,_

_I believe that everyone should have one of these quills, they are very useful. Since this quill will always remain with you, I hope you will always remember me. _

_Your Partner_

Did her partner just flirt with her? Undoubtedly he was a natural charmer. He seemed to know what she would like and he knew all the right things to say. Hermione would be lying if she said that she wasn't falling just a little bit for his charm. Was this Valentine fest really going to lead to something real? Had a few Ministry workers managed to find the right guy for her? How was this possible, you can't possibly fall in love with someone over a few letters, can you? Nothing about her life was going to change after this fest, right?

Hermione sighed looking at the quill, she was really curious about her partner now. She needed to know who he was. She couldn't fall for someone who she didn't even know. She took the quill and wrote her name on a spare piece of parchment. Dark, rich black ink flew from it. She stared at it, the beautiful sinfulness of it. Hermione needed to clear her head. She decided to go her workroom and work on a new spell.

The Auror department had asked for a spell that would give them night vision. Muggle technology had devices which could serve the purpose, but they wouldn't work around all the magic. So she had to find a way to apply that technology to a spell. Light and faith, those would make the essence of the spell. Hermione concentrated her whole being on the spell and whispered,

"Give light to my mind; make me see in the night."

A dark force suddenly surrounded her and she felt her body rise, she tried to struggle against it but it was too strong. When she thought that she was not going to be able to resist anymore, it finally stopped. When she opened her eyes she was in the park near her childhood home, then suddenly the scene shifted and she was in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It didn't take a long time for her to realise that she was seeing glimpses of her past. The scene shifted again and she was in a huge garden where two little blond boys were chasing each other, one of them looked towards her and she noticed he had her eyes. Hermione's breath caught and she was jerked back to the present. Her mind reeled at what she had just seen. Were those children hers? Had the spell shown her what her future would be? She took a shaky breath; this was definitely not a night vision spell that she had created.

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**A/N: What kind of spell has Hermione created? I desperately need ideas for other tasks they could do, so please PM me or leave a review if you come up with anything.**

**10****th**** Feb: Chocolate Day**

**11****th**** Feb: ?**


	6. The Chocolate Day - Now or Never

**So unicorn-trojans here is your next chapter. Lots of chocolates to broodinggloom for the wonderful suggestions, as you might see I took inspiration from them.**

**The Chocolate Day – Now or Never**

Hermione carefully measured each ingredient, even after having made this recipe many times. The cacao and the butter formed a silky mixture. The dark aroma of chocolate invaded the kitchen while Hermione prepared the little heart shaped moulds. She tasted her mixture, the bitter of the dark chocolate spread over her tongue.

Today, according to the letter she received from the Ministry, was Chocolate Day. The task assigned for today was to gift your partner chocolates. Not just any chocolate but the ones you thought were their favourites. She had received a box full of expensive caramel filed chocolates. She had also got a note along with them:

_"Strong on the outside but soft on the inside, just like you."  
Your partner  
P.S.: Thank you for the pink tie, I will definitely wear it on our first date._

Hermione realised her partner had indirectly asked her out. She was not sure how to respond. Did he really care or was he just desperate? Or what if he was just playing with her? Should she agree to go out with him? What if he turned out to be some creep? And did she really have the time to date? It had been so long since she had dated, was she ready to do this? Would he still feel the same when he found out who she was? Would he be star struck because she was Harry Potter's best friend and one third of the Golden Trio or would he be disgusted to find out that she fight for house elves? Either way, he wouldn't be good, she wanted someone who wouldn't use her to gain his few seconds of fame, neither someone who would be ashamed to be seen with her. How would this guy be?

The ringing of the timer pulled her out of her thoughts. She poured the batter in the moulds and left it too cool. She took off her apron and walked to her workroom. She took a deep breath and entered, she had to face this; she had to find out.

"Give light to my mind, make me see in the night," she whispered, bracing herself for the dark force.

It came, she felt all the air being squeezed out of her. When she opened her eyes, she was in a bright airy room. She recognised her mother's kitchen. She saw a four or five year old Hermione sitting on the kitchen counter, rolling cookie dough while her mother took out a batch of freshly baked cookies from the oven. The scene shifted to the Gryffindor common room Hermione was playing Exploding Snap with Ron and Harry, the next scene was Ginny and Harry's wedding where she was the maid of honour. Then she was on platform number 9 3/4, she searched, expecting to see her younger self but instead she saw a woman who must be in her mid-thirties rushing two children in the train. She couldn't see the children but she recognised the woman as herself. Hermione was sure this wasn't a memory, not even a dream she might have had. The scene shifted again, the same woman, Hermione refused to refer to her as her future self, was on a stage accepting an award with a smile. Hermione could not take it any longer and forced herself back to the present.

She pondered over the incantations of the spell. Maybe a little research would help. She searched through all the books she had, from simple charms to dark, forbidden spells, but she didn't find anything that matched her spell. When the sky darken and there was not enough light to read, Hermione realised that she had yet to send the chocolates to her partner.

Hermione went to the kitchen and looked at the chocolates, they had frozen perfectly. She packed them in as box, tied it with a red ribbon and took some parchment to write a note:

_I know they are not much, but I wanted to share this with you. This is the recipe my mother used to make chocolates. I hold you like them.  
Your partner_

P.S.: I will be wearing my bright pink dress so we match.

It was now or never.She attached the letter to Avril's leg, a small white owl she had finally bought. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and sent it off.

**A/N: So I hope you liked it, tell me if you have any suggestions for the next chapters, and give me constructive criticism, I really need it. :) **


	7. The Teddy Day

**Hi guys**

**I am really sorry for not updating yesterday, I had the story written but didn't get the time to write it, something unexpected came up. So this chapter is actually yesterdays. I will try to put up todays chapter in a few hours but no promises, I am not all that well today.**

**There are quite a few hints in this chapter about the nature of the spell. A challenge to all of you to try and find them, if anyone manages to get it right, they will get a reward! (I sound obnoxious, sorry). If anyone can guess what exactly the spell is, hats off to you. **

**emily. .strange, unicorn-trojans, isra22 and Guest reviewer: Thank you!**

**Potterhead911: Thanks for the suggestions! Did you know Teddy day actually exists?!**

**Broodinggloom: I felt that the last update was short too! Your constant reviews really motivate me, thank you! **

**Trustpixiedust: The love letter is probably coming in the next few chapters, watch out for it!**

**Well I won't make you wait any longer.**

**The Teddy Day**

Hermione jerked awake from her sleep. She had seen that face again, the little boy with blonde hair and brown eyes. Since the day she had seen the boy I her spell she hadn't been able to forget him. Hermione had always wanted children and she felt a connection to him. She wanted to see him again.

Hermione walked too get workroom, the moonlight lighting her path. She whispered the words that had been the reason of her distress for the past few days, "Give light to my mind, make me see in the night."

As expected, memories of her past came first. The Sorting Hat, The Burrow, her parents, small pleasant scenes flew across. Then she was in a conference room, one she had never seen before. The older Hermione, the one she had seen at King's Cross last time, was there again. She was explaining a group of people about some project, she could not quite understand what she was saying, it was like a foreign language to her. When the older Hermione finished her presentation, everyone clapped, they all looked in admiration at her, and Hermione herself felt admiration for her. It was as if the older Hermione was a magnet and she was a helpless piece of iron. The scene shifted again, she was in a huge house, the little boy with brown eyes, _her_ brown eyes, was dressed in pyjamas, holding a big fluffy brown teddy with a red bow tie. He was calling her, his eyes inviting her to come to him, her body remained where it was but she moved towards him. She didn't have control over herself anymore. Bright spots appeared in front of her eyes and Hermione fainted.

The sharp rays of the sun pricked her eyes. Hermione shaded them with her hands. She felt a heavy pain grow in the back of her head, it slowly spread to her whole body.

She rolled her side, away from the sun and tried to get up. Groaning as pain shot from different parts of her body and her head spun, she got up and ran to her bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach. She felt drained, she needed water. After washing her mouth and she went to the kitchen and took a few hesitant sips of water, it tasted bitter. Hermione was exhausted, so she decided to go to sleep again, no one would mind if she skipped work for one day.

When she woke up it was almost evening, her stomach growled. She went to her kitchen and warmed last night's leftovers. When she was sitting down to eat, she noticed two owls sitting patiently on the window sill. One had a huge packet and the other had a letter. She took the items and sent both of the owls away with a few treats. Sitting down to eat her dinner, she started reading the letter, it was from the Ministry. She had forgotten all about the fest.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We hope you have enjoyed the seven days of valentine fest till now. Your task for today, the Teddy Day, is to gift partner a teddy bear. You have to charm the teddy bear in such a way that it should speak your favourite love quote when its nose is pressed. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Betty Smith_

_Head event manager_

_Ministry of Magic_

She would have to go out to buy a teddy bear after dinner. When she had finished eating and cleaning up, she opened her partner's gift. It was a huge fluffy, white teddy bear. It was wearing a pink frock and a little hat. Hermione smiled at this, it was adorable. She pressed its nose,

"The way to love anything is to realise that it may be lost."

She took the small not attached to the teddy bear,

_This was a difficult task for me because I don't have a favourite love quote._

The quote definitely contradicted the appearance of the teddy bear, she was expecting a romantic, poetic quote. This quote was very forward and blunt. She had thought of him as a very romantic guy but she appreciated the honesty. It showed that he was ready to put himself in a vulnerable position in front of her.

Half an hour later Hermione was in a nearby toy store, browsing through the colourful shelves of soft toys. There were puppies, kittens, giraffes, a few cartoon characters and a whole lot of teddy bears, but none of them really pleased her. She finally chose a medium sized brown teddy; she would go home and transfigure it to her liking. She paid for it and walked out of the shop. The cold burned her cheeks, it felt good, and she felt fresh.

When she reached home she immediately started to work on the soft toy. She darkened the teddy's fur and added a bow tie, a red one with white polka dots, around its neck. She charmed the teddy bear to say her favourite quote:

"Love can sometimes be magic, but magic can sometimes just be an illusion."

She always loved this quote. For her, magic was real, but sometimes it could be just an illusion.

It was when she sent the gift to her partner that she realised that the teddy bear she had made was exactly like the one she had seen the little boy holding in her spell.

**A/N: I went a little deeper into the spell. Did anyone find the clues? First one to get them gets a special prize ;)**


	8. The Day of Promises

**Hi guys**

**Again this is yesterday's chapter. I have already written today's chapter just have to type it. I know this isn't too long but I didn't want to just add extra stuff to make it longer. Two more chapters left after this. **

**Toadally Unique Winged Gal: You are sort of right about the first part.**

**Isra22: Thank you! They meet on Valentine's Day! Soon!**

**Broodinggloom: Thanks! I am better now so trying to clear the lag. Any guesses about the spell?**

**Toxicakasha: It is a little part. Premonition of course always plays a big part in magic**

**Major hints in this chapter for the spell. The spell is a bit complex, not a simple charm. It is almost dark magic. I think quite a few of you will guess by the end. My advice: look in each word. **

**The Day of Promises**

The smell of delicious food wafted through the air, the burrow was as lively as ever. Molly was preparing the food, George and Charlie were entertaining teddy and Victoire. Hermione walked over to where Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna were sitting. She greeted all of them, Luna was saying something about Nargles and Neville, Hermione didn't fully understand what she was saying. The chatted there for a while. Ron talked about his Valentine partner, they asked Hermione about hers. Mrs Weasley called everyone for lunch, they sat and ate, they talked and laughed about everything and anything. Hermione felt light after a long time. She hadn't told anyone about the spell as yet, she was confused about it and she didn't want anyone to know about it till she was sure of its nature. The spell was unstable and it was already affecting her, she felt weak after using it. If the wrong people found out about it, there were high chances of it being misused.

It was already late in the afternoon by the time Hermione reached home. She was feeling happy and content after a long time. She decided it was time, a promise to you, a promise to him, a promise to each other. That was the task for today, promise day. She had to make a promise to herself, make a promise to her partner and when they meet on Valentine's Day, they had to make a promise to each other. Hermione had given this a lot of thought, and now she had reached finally come to a conclusion. She had to tell her promises so she took her pink quill and started writing her letter.

_Dear Partner,_

_Today I will make two promises, one to me and one to you._

_I promise myself that I will stop hiding myself behind my work and I will face the world of dating. _

_I promise to you that I will not judge you when I meet you. I will take the time to get to know you better. _

_This ink and paper shall bind my promises to you and me. _

_Your Partner._

Hermione sent the letter and sat back in an armchair to finish reading the last proposal she had received from the Ministry for S.P.E.W. She was already lagging behind in her work because of the spell. She was not going to think about it today. Her eyelids drooped, he head felt heavy and soon she was fast asleep in her cosy armchair. The dreams started almost immediately she the visions she had seen in the spell again. How she wished she could be as perfect as the older Hermione. She saw it all again, she was aching to lose herself in them, she didn't want to wake up. Her spell made her happy. She felt herself drunk, she was drunk.

"Give light to my mind, make me see in the night," she whispered in her sleep. The smell of roses, a musical laugh, and Hermione's eyes flew open. An owl was hooting somewhere. She quickly got up and opened the window in her room, the owl hopped in. She took the letter from it and it flew away.

_Dear partner,_

_I promise to myself that I will stop behind a cold mask. I will not be afraid of what people think of me. _

She felt her respect for him grow. It seemed that like her, he was also always judged by the society and like her he had taken to hiding. She continued to read,

_I promise to you that I will open myself to you, I won't block you out._

_This ink and paper shall bind my promises to you and me. _

Your partner

He had trusted her, he was ready to open up to her. In that moment she felt herself fall for the man. It didn't matter who he was but she was going to try to make her relationship with him work. It was promise to herself.

**A/N: So did anybody get the hints? See you soon.**


	9. The Day of Wishes

**So here is the chapter for today, I finally managed to overcome my lag. Tomorrow is the last chapter. How do you guys want Draco and Hermione to meet? I am sorry for the really short update. **

**isra22: Thanks! Sadly it's coming to an end. :( **

**broodingloom: A little something for you in the chapter for keeping me constantly motivated to write this. I am not used to updating so fast, so this was quite stressful for me but you and all the other readers kept me motivated enough to not give up on this.**

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**The Day of Wishes**

Sleep scared her, consciousness scared her. If she slept, the dreams come would come again and make her feel helpless, if she didn't sleep then her thoughts would kill her. Hermione rolled in her bed, she had tried reading, doing some work, even cooking but nothing made her feel better. She was feeling blank, she couldn't concentrate. She got out of bed and went out to her balcony. The floor was ice cold under her bare feet, she shivered as the air bit through her thin night dress, she tried to calm herself.

Hermione woke up to her alarm clock in the morning; she had finally taken a dreamless sleep potion yesterday night. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and caught her reflection in the mirror, her hair was a bird's nest, and dark bags had formed under her blood shot eyes. She felt sick, gloom brooded in every point of her body but she had to go the work today.

The day passed slowly for her, but she didn't want to go home. She was scared of being alone, she felt safe here, surrounded by her co-workers. Finally, when she had finished all the work she had, she couldn't find another excuse to stay and she had to leave for home. She thought of going to Ginny's first but then decided against it, Ginny would worry and ask her what had caused her to feel like she was feeling. Hermione wasn't ready to disclose the reason to everyone just as yet.

Hermione took out the letter she had received from the Ministry that morning and read it again.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We hope you enjoyed the "The Seven Days of Valentine" and hope you will take past next year too. The task you get today, the Wish Day, will be your last task. For today, you must share with your partner five things you want to do before you die._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Betty Smith_

_Head event manager_

_The Ministry of Magic_

She had already received her partner's letter.

_Here are the five things I want to do before I die:_

_Write a book_

_Take a world tour_

_Perfect the art of potion making_

_Learn how to cook_

_Have kids_

_Your partner_

He had let go of his doubts, it was time that she let go of hers doubts and open up to him too.

_Dear Partner,_

_I was touched by how sincere your letter was. Here are the five things I want to do before I die:_

_Bring change in the society _

_Learn three foreign languages_

_Invent a spell that will help the world_

_Live in different places_

_And just like you, have kids_

_I can't wait to meet you tomorrow._

_Your Partner_

She really couldn't wait to meet him, she was excited, not only about finding out his identity, but also about her future, about how he might change her life.

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**A/N: So? Any thoughts on the next chapter? Something specific that you might like? **


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